1 Death of a Garden Hoe (3 page)

Shroom shrugged his shoulders and hitched his pants. He mouthed "Told you so," to Bean. He dragged his feet and followed Detective Williams. He listened while the detective talked. Bean and Pone waited at the curb.

When they returned, Detective Williams said, "Well boys, we are about finished here." He looked at Bean. "Did you have anything to add?"

Bean shrugged and looked at the ground. "I puked on my shoes."

Detective Williams coughed to cover a laugh. Uh, can I reach you at the garden center later?" All three boys nodded.

Bean said, "Don't you want to ask me anything?"

Detective Williams looked at his notes. "Can you add anything other than you threw up on your shoes?"

Bean turned red and shook his head. "Uh, no, sir."

Pone and Shroom laughed and started down the street.

Detective Williams patted Bean's shoulder as he walked by. He whispered, "Don't feel too bad, I threw up at my first homicide too."

Bean stood with his mouth open while Detective Williams turned and walked away.

Bean caught up with Shroom and Pone. He was still smiling. Pone shoved Bean. "What did my dad say to you?"

Bean said nothing, but he smiled and strolled down the street.

They were about to the corner by the gas station when they heard, "Hey guys! What's going on?"

Shroom sighed. "Crap. Son of Bill Gates found us." Pone and Bean laughed.

Cash ran to catch up with Pone, Shroom, and Bean. Shroom led with, "We found some dead chick." He turned and started walking.

At Cash's panicked look, Bean said, "We did. We found a dead hooker." He pointed down the street where the police cars were grouped. "She's in that alley behind that dumpster."

Cash dropped his tool caddy on the ground. "Wow. No joke? Wow."

Shroom shrugged. "Go look if you want." He pointed to the rude cop. "Ask that guy, I know he'll help you out."

Cash scratched his head. "Man, I would have been earlier, but somehow I lost my hoe. Or maybe it went missing somewhere else. I was pulling weeds in front of the police station, and I turned to grab the hoe and the hoe was gone. I have been looking for it. I thought I left it at the library, but it wasn't there either. That's why I was late meeting with you."

Shroom turned to Pone and grabbed his T-shirt. "Yo, did you hear what he said? His hoe is missing."

Bean looked confused. "Well, we found one."

Cash looked dazed. "Found what?"

Bean smiled. "A ho."

Cash shook his head. "A what?"

"A ho."

"My hoe?"

Shroom rolled his eyes. "Geez Bean, just shut up
.

Pone said, "I had better call my Dad. Cash, don't leave."

Cash did not understand. "Hey, why is Pone calling his dad? And why are they upset my hoe is missing? Am I in trouble or something?"

Shroom coughed. "Uh, I don't think so, but that girl's head was chopped open. Maybe they think your hoe did it."

Cash started to panic. "My hoe? No way, man! If they think my hoe did it, then they will think I was holding it while that chick was killed! I did not kill anyone today or any other day!"

Bean rushed over to Cash. "Slow down, Cash. No one is saying you killed anyone. I mean, you might have
paid
someone else to do it–"

Shroom laughed and Cash turned white under his fake tan.

Bean patted his shoulder. "No, Man, I'm kidding you. The police might want to ask you a few questions, and Pone wants his dad, the detective to do it. His dad won't think you did it."

Cash wiped the sweat off his face. "Me and cops don't get along. They tend to think I am a smart ass."

Shroom snorted. "That's because you
are
a smart ass. Teachers don't like you 'cuz you're a smart ass. The cops don't like you 'cuz you're a smart ass.
I
don't like you 'cuz you're a smart ass. Heck, no one likes you because you're a smart ass!"

Cash took a step forward. "You little mother–"

Shroom ducked into a fighting stance and pasted a wide grin on his face. He wiggled his fingers as a silent "come on" to Cash.

Cash did not want to fight, but didn't want to be called kitty-cat names either. He stepped closer to Shroom. He looked at Bean for help, but Bean just smiled. "You've been pretty rude to me too, White Boy."

"Who you calling white boy, Bean?
You
are a white boy!"

Bean looked at Shroom and Pone and laughed. "Not today, my brother, not today."

Shroom ducked low and turned his side to Cash. "Come on, rich boy. I'm gonna kick your smart ass into tomorrow."

Pone jumped between the two and faced Shroom. "Stop it! Both of you! Geez, Shroom. If you don't want to be labeled a gang banging punk, then
don't act like one!
"

Pone flipped his phone closed and grabbed Cash, holding his arms behind him. "It's not worth catching another charge, Cash. Walk away. Bean is right for once. Surprise everyone and make them believe you have manners."

Another voice came from behind them. They turned to see a dry-eyed Spaz, hands on her hips and loaded for bear. "All right, break up the hug fest, boys. I'm ready now. Where's a cop when you need one?"

Pone smiled. "My dad is on his way. He needs to speak to Cash too."

"Cash? Why does he have to speak to Cash? What's up, did he forget to pay another parking ticket?"

Shroom spoke up. "Naw, he just lost the hoe that might have killed Dead Chick."

Spaz flinched. "Even the cops can't be stupid enough to believe pretty boy here killed Amy."

"Amy? Was that the girl's name?" The deep voice came from behind them, and it made them all jump. "I hope we aren't–what was it?
Oh, yes
, stupid
enough to jump to such an easy answer to our current problem."

As one, they turned toward Pone's father. In his hand, Detective Williams held a long plastic bag. He stepped away from the group of teens and he and another officer carefully unwrapped their package and laid it on the sidewalk.

Detective Williams spoke to the group. "Look familiar to anyone?"

They all stood like statues. Only their eyes moved as one. Up the long wooden handle to the triangle of steel with gunk on the pointed end, they knew without a doubt the garden hoe lying on the plastic was the tool Cash lost. It was also the tool that probably killed Amy the Hooker.

Chapter 4

They each had their own thoughts on the matter.

Cash thought, "Oh, my God! I'm going to prison!"

Bean thought,
"Oh, my God, Cash is going to prison!"

Pone thought,
"Oh, thank God, at least it's not me."

Spaz thought, "What does a garden hoe have to do with Amy?"

Shroom thought,
"Oh my God, they are going to arrest the Mexican 'cuz the smart ass rich boy hoe'd the Ho! He'll probably get some fancy lawyer to get him off while I get stuck with a Public Pretender and I go to prison…"

"Well?"

Startled, they all looked up to find Detective Williams had been watching each of their reactions to the garden hoe.

"Well?" he repeated.

Everyone except Spaz stood wide-eyed and silent. She stepped forward. "I don't know what that thing has to do with anything. I knew the dead girl, so talk to me. These idiots don't know nothing."

Detective Williams studied the boys for another few seconds. He told Spaz to come with him. She did, but yanked her arm out of his hand when he tried to guide her away from the group.

Bean flinched. "At least it's not just me."

Shroom pushed his bangs out of his face. "No, you had it right. It's you, all right."

Bean sighed.

The young officer who re-wrapped the hoe faced the boys. "So, gentlemen, can I say that by your stunned looks you know where this hoe came from?"

Bean nodded. "Yes, sir. It came from the Olive Branch Garden Center. You can tell by the O.B. carved into the handle. All our tools have that."

Shroom crammed his hat on his head. "You can't keep your mouth shut for one minute, Bean! Why you gotta blab to the cops about the hoe? Now they are gonna arrest us and I'm going to prison! I hope you are happy, Mr. Big Mouth!"

Shroom stomped over to the curb and sat. He put his head between his knees and threw his ball cap on the ground. Cash was speechless. Pone spoke up. "Officer, I think the murderer must have taken the hoe from the garden center, or from the tool caddy we drag around town when we do garden work. I know we make good suspects because we are all sitting paper, but I know we can account for our time."

Bean valued his life, so he walked a big circle around Shroom to stay out of striking distance. "That was my point, sir. That is how I know for sure someone else picked up that hoe. We are watched over by so many people, it won't be hard to find out where any of us were when she was killed."

The officer took notes and asked a few more questions. When he was done, he tucked the notebook into his pocket. "That should do it for now. You are free to go."

Cash stood. "Well, if you guys want, my truck is parked at the library. I can drive us all back to the garden center. That way you don't have to walk."

For the first time in the four weeks, they had been together, everyone agreed with Cash. Shroom could not get out of there fast enough. Pone was right behind him. Bean held back when the others called him. He told them he had to see his PO and would catch up later. He watched the truck as it burned rubber out of the parking lot. Bean strolled back to the alley.

He was leaning against a building when Spaz was finished with Detective Williams. She looked around and saw him. He pushed away from the building and came forward. "All finished?"

She nodded and looked down the street once more. "Where is everyone?"

Bean looked at her. "Uh, they kind-of went, uh, back. I thought uh…that I would wait here for you. I mean, do-wait-done." He looked anywhere but at her. He sighed loudly. "I meant, wait until you were done."

She leveled a look at him. "Why?"

Bean stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. "In case they asked you about the hoe."

"The ho? Can you please call her something else? Her name was Amy."

Bean was not listening. "Yeah, we think someone stole it."

"Stole what?"

"The hoe"

"Why would someone steal the ho? She's already dead."

It hit Bean that she was talking about Dead Chick. "Not Dead Chick, the garden hoe. But I guess she could be called the 'Garden Ho' if that is how someone killed her.

"Killed the ho with a hoe. How rude is that?" Spaz looked at the ground.

Bean laughed. "Pretty rude. Good thing they didn't steal a leaf blower…Uh, hey, are you ready to go? I'll walk with you if you want."

She sobered and looked at him like he was pond scum. "Okay, but put a hat on or something, would you? In case someone sees us, I don't want them to think I'm like,
with
you or anything, okay?"

"Come on, Spaz, you're just mad 'cuz you're starting to like me."

"I like you like I'd like getting a needle shoved in my eye."

Bean smiled. "Well, I'm moving up in the world."

Spaz grinned. "Because I didn't say 'drop dead'? Yes, I guess it is. But hey, I mean it." She pulled a purple beanie out of her pocket. "Here. Put that on."

"What?" Bean squeaked.

"I said, put it on."

Bean pulled the purple beanie over his ears. "Okay, fine. Now what? Do you want me to wear a fake mustache too?" Bean saw a faint smile before Spaz scowled at him again.

Spaz turned and started walking. "Better yet, let's stop at the pet store for a collar and a muzzle."

Bean laughed large and trotted to catch up to Spaz. "You got yourself a deal. Can I get a collar with spikes?"

Spaz giggled. "You got it."

Bean stopped and pointed at her. "Gotcha! You laughed. You're starting to like me. I knew it!"

Spaz opened her mouth to blast him, but Bean looked like a happy St. Bernard, and she had a soft spot for dumb dogs. "Maybe a little, but don't get used to it.

He smiled. "Come on, pal. Let's go buy that collar."

She smiled back. They bumped knuckles and headed for the garden center.

Chapter 5

Pone could not stop thinking about the dead girl. He tried to focus but couldn't. He knew what he had to do, but did not want to take that first step. He had to see his dad. He had to help the dead girl. It ate at him all afternoon. He was about crazy with it by supper. Before he was done eating, he knew he needed to spill his guts to the one person he did not want to confront.